Let the great patent wars continue.
Apple said it sued rival smartphone maker HTC for infringing on 20 of its patents related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The company said it filed the action concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. District Court in Delaware.
"We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."
Apple did not immediately respond to questions about which patents and technologies are covered under its disagreement with HTC. HTC makes a range of smartphones, including Google's Android-based Nexus One.
In a response, HTC said that it "has been very focused over the past 13 years on creating many of the most innovative smartphones."
"HTC values patent rights and their enforcement but is also committed to defending its own technology innovations," the company said in a statement. "HTC only learned of Apple's actions this morning via media reports, and therefore we have not yet had the opportunity to investigate the filings. Until we have had this opportunity, we are unable to comment on the validity of the claims being made against HTC."
Apple is no stranger to the courtroom. The company currently is embroiled in a bitter patent dispute with Nokia. Indeed, last month the ITC said it will investigate Apple's patent-infringement claims against Nokia. The decision came roughly three weeks after the ITC said it would investigate Nokia's own patent-infringement claims against Apple to determine whether imports of Apple devices should be banned.
For more:
- see this release
- see the filing via AllThingsD
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